Combination bus light and ventilator



Oct. 12 1926. 1,602,978

M. c. HORINE COMBINATION BUS LIGHT AND VENTlLATOR Filed August 26. 1924 gvwemtoz Patented Oct. 1

MERRILLaQ. HORINE. OF RICHMOND,.

MOTORQOMPANY, OENEXVYORK;

At the present'time vehicle b'oi NEW YORKLASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL,

N..Y.,v A-GORPORATION OF. DELAWARE.

COMBINATION BUS-LIGHT AND". VENTILAT'ORQ Application filed August 26, 1924; Serial N0. 734,176;

larly bus bodies are provided withvery low roots. generally secured ventilators.

The dome On the ceilings of the vehicles are lights and exhaust lights at present in i use necessarily r-estrict headrooni and wher ever they are placed. inthe ceilingare apt to i dome strike the heads of passengers while seated or while getting i Furthermore the n or out of the vehicle. dome ll'htfi are apt to cause a certain .aii'ioiint 0t glare in the eyes of the passengers.

lators in passenger carrying vehicles, being generally of considerable insuliicient in number.

the present "invention to provide which sh all ,approxi mate ideal Exl'iaust type root ventisine are as a rule ItlS an obyect ot a dome light conditions so liar as lighting e'l'l ects are concerned While at the same time ai'll'ordiiig ample head room for the occupants oitftlie vehicle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide exhaust type ventilatorsrso disposed as to perfect ventilat on. A turlnVGlltlOIrlS to provide a' more even and ther ()ll'JQClS ot the structure which shall meet the requirements hereinbeitor-e described and shall be practical 'lrom,maiiiitacturing and COIDIDGIClELlCOIF siderations. Accor t1on proposes and root ventilator the roof occupied by a combination of whereby the space above dingly the present inventhe ventilator aperture is employed as a recess and reflector-in which disposed the source of light. ticularly the combined dome light and roof More pare ventilator comprises an aluminium casting having a wide flan to lie flush with the edges of an. aperture in the root from whic h a dome rises, the inside of which is polished to serve as an efficient reflector tor the light and out of which extends rearwardly an exhaustduct'torining a passage from the interior of the dome to the outer air.

WV-ithin the duct there is disposed a valve whereof the valve stem projects into the interior of the whereby the opening in the passage may bus beneath the ceiling i oe controlled to effect the desired ventilation within the vehicle.

thereby allording the invention may \Vith such a construenow in use and each seat of the bus an ideal condition of il- In order that be clearly understood the lies partieu-same will now be described more give a dome light spherical reflecting portioirb at its bottom adapted light and is preferably integral therewith 90 to the roof adjacent the opening and fully with; reference to theaccompanying drawings illustratinga preferred embodiment. thereotfl and in which:

Figure l isa verticalsectional view show+ ing combined bus light and exhaust'ven-i- 60 tilator according to the present invention as: f applied-to the-=rootof a vehicle.

Figure 2 is a'view showing the ventilators in plac-ein the ceiling of a vehicle looking? from below and illustrating means for con: 05 trolling the exhaust passage;

Figure 3 isa transverse VlGW: partly 4 in. section and-partly in'elevationtaken. in the. plane indicated by the line 3-'3 inFigure :1 and looking. in the direction-of the arrows" and showing the exhaust passage tullyopenz Figure las a view tak'enin the plane indi-i cated by the line t-et in Figure 1 andxlookinginthe directionot the arrows LIIdShOVVi' ing awpreterred means torsecuringthe come bined dome' li ght and ventilator to the roof eta-bus.

According tothe present-- invention. an. apertiirec may be formed at any convenient. pointin the root aof "tlieveh-icle, the apertUI'G beingjust sufficient-to receive the flange b ofthe combined dome lightand ventilator. Preferably the 'flangewill be circularw from manufacturing considerations since the reflector will obviously be substantially spherical but any configuration of flange .to fit the desired hole in the root may be used Flange b is, formed on the edge' of the of the domes although Li-separate flange may be secured in any convenient manner to the lower edge if desired. At the apex of the dome istormed a socket b lor the recepti'on of the. usual electric light- 0, tli'e cable d feeding the light being conductedthereto in any desired manner and from the disposition of the device will be exposed thereby affording easy access. The interior of the dome is, of course, polished or white enameled or otherwise finished to provide a highly reflecting surface. The means for securing the flange b to the root (1 takes the form, in the illustrated embodiment, of a ring or annulus e which can be secured as by screws or the like may support the dome light as by bolts 0'. By such construction the dome light is disposed vii 1,602,978e

entirely above the ceiling of the vehicle and no portion thereof projects below the coiling to interfere with the head room of the vehicle. Other methods of securing the dome to the roof will appear to those skilled in the art, for instance, a lip on the dome may be extended below the flange, the flange bearing on the outside of the hole in the roof and a compression flange being disposed therebelow to clamp the edges of the roof about the hole therebetween.

At one side of the dome is formed an aperture opening into a passage 0* which in the illustrated embodiment is rectangular. Passing through a circular bore 6 formed in a boss 5 immediately beneath the duct 6 is a shaft or stem 7 journaled at its upper end in the wall of the duct and extending slightly below the flange Z). The upper end of the stem f is preferably slotted as at f and within the slot is disposed a butterfly valve 9 rectangular in outline and adapted to control the passage 6 formed by the duct 6*. The butterfly valve 9 may be conveniently secured in operative relation in the slot f by means of a set screw P. On the lower extremity of stem 7 and secured thereto as by pin f is an arm it serving as a handie for actuation of the butterfly valve and as an indicator of the position thereof in the passage. The end of the arm it may be formed with a downwardly projecting car it for convenient grasp. By suitably positioning the arm on the stem at an angle to the plane of the butterfly valve, the position of the arm will readily show the condition of the ventilator. For instance, upon throwing the arm to the one side marked Open in Figure 2, the butterfly valve may be dis-- posed in its extreme open position. By tl'irowing the arm to the extreme opposite position, the valve may also be closed completely. By positioning the handle at intermediate points therebetween a partial closing of the passage may be effected. The lower surfaces of the flange may conveniently have inscribed thereon indications of the condition of the ventilator such as the words Open and Shut. Various means may be adapted for maintaining the valve in intermediate positions of adjustment, such as serrations on the proximate faces of the arm and flange.

It will thus be seen that a particularly eli ieoaeva caeious lighting and ventilating device has been provided for motor vehicles which is disposed entirely above the ceiling of the ve hicle and while affording ample illumination obviates an unpleasant glare to the eyes of the passengers and permits equal distribution of the ventilating as well as illuminating media in structures which are simple, easy and cheap to manufacture. Furthermore, the installation of the device is considerably simplified since the combination requires the use of few units while advantages of the elimination of the usual grating or disc valve in the usual type of ventilator by the substitution of a simple quadrant lever will be obvious, and simpler and more accessible wiring is permitted due to the outside connections.

Various n'iodifications may be made in the means for securing the dome in the roof of the vehicle as well as in the configuration of the valve and its control, and no limitation is intended except as indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A combined dome light and ventilator for vehicles comprising a reflector, means to carry the reflector wholly above the surface of the ceiling of the vehicle, a source of light carried by the reflector above its lower edge, and a passage in the reflector leading to the atmosphere above the roof.

2. A combined dome light and ventilator for vehicles comprising a reflector, means to carry the reflector with its lower edge flush with the ceiling of the vehicle, a source of light carried by the reflector and above its lower edge, a passage in the dome leading to the atmosphere, said passage and light being above the roof, and means to control the passage.

3. The combination with the roof of a vehicle of a reflector formed with a flange about its periphery, means to secure said flange to the roof, a source of light carried by the reflector and above its lower edge, an aperture in the reflector, said aperture and light being above the roof, and means mounted in the reflector to control the pars sage.

This specification signed this 13th day of August, A. D. 1924.

MERRILL C. HORINE. 

